As with most Marvel films we don't know everything that is going to happen within Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Yet, I've put together some of the facts, rumors and my own thoughts on the sequel together.

Joe Johnston has been repalced by the Russo Brothers best known as the show-runners for NBC's Community. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are back as the sequel's writers. The current returning cast includes Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill. No word if the other Howling Commandos will be reprising their roles. However, it's very likely that Peggy Carter will be featured either in flashbacks or meeting up with Steve in the present. We know that Bucky (Stan) will become the ruthless assassin Winter Soldier who is kept in a cryogenic chamber between missions. There may or may not be connection to Black Widow's former Russian employers.

NEW ADDITIONS: So far Marvel and The Russo Brothers have hired two inspiring actors for new roles. Anthony Mackie known for emotional and hard-nosed characters in films like Hurt Locker, Million Dollar Baby and Half Nelson was cast in the role of Sam Wilson. The Falcon is a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and the present day sidekick of Captain America he's also one of the first black superheroes ever created for comics. Frank Grillo best known for his role in The Grey (not to mention supporting roles in The Warrior and End of Watch) has been cast as Brock Rumlow (Crossbones). He's been a henchman for the Red Skull and shot Cap during the Civil War story. Hopefully he'll be given more development as a villain thanks in part to Grillo who will likely give a memorable performance.

UNNAMED FEMALE LEAD: The role itself hasn't been confirmed but it's very well likely be Sharon Carter. The eventual love-interest of Rogers and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who has connections to Steve's WWII past. Being the niece of Peggy Carter, of which her stories of his WWII heroics inspired Sharon to join S.H.I.E.L.D. It's possible the role would lead to an appearance in Avengers 2 not to mention a supporting role in Cap sequels. A slew of actresses have been linked for the part which include Jessica Brown Findlay, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Felicity Jones, Abbie Cornish, Emilia Clarke, Imogen Poots and Alice Eve. There had been rumors that Hayley Atwell who played Peggy might end up playing Sharon Carter, so why test other actresses?. If that is indeed the case this new female role might not even be Sharon.

One possibility the part could be Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman) who starts out as a trained assassin for HYDRA only to become rehabilitated as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and member of The Avengers. A similar transition that Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) goes through himself. I've been thinking this over, if Winter Soldier and Crossbones are working alongside each other it would be on a team, it makes sense that Spider-Woman would be involved if it's being backed by HYDRA. It doesn't hurt that Drew plays a major role in both the Skrull Invasion and Civil War which will likely be used in future Avengers sequels.

VILLAIN RUMORS: While Winter Soldier and Crossbones are excellent additions to the Marvel cinematic universe rouges gallery. They are not as iconic as the Red Skull or many of the other Cap villains. There have been rumors that Baron Zemo will be the main baddie but that has yet to confirmed. Nikolaj Coster-Waldu (possibly Viggo Mortensen too?) had been linked for a foreign villain role that was unnamed. It's possible since Zemo had been included in original drafts for the script of First Avenger. Zemo could span the WWII era up to the present day timeline.

There is speculation that we might see the return of Dr. Zola with his new robotic body. Tobey Jones has already played the reluctant sidekick to The Red Skull but might have his attitude adjusted when turned into a cyborg. A blue-print of this body was an Easter Egg in First Avenger and it's possible he could have finished his brainwashing of Bucky Barnes.

Another possible villain that has been teased in the Avengers cartoon and the video game tie-in Super Soldier, is Ophelia Sarkissian (Madame Hydra). Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) had been rumored for the role but turned out to be false. Marvel has been doing a decent job of creating female supporting roles but haven't really given them a villainous-twist. My opinion is that Madame Hydra needs to show up in the franchise and if Jessica Drew is involved it would make sense to include Madame as well. She could end up in the vein of Dr. Elsa Schneider from The Last Crusade, playing both sides of the coin.

CIVIL WAR: Crossbones and Winter Soldier played decent enough roles in Civil War which is being looked at for Avengers 3, according to Kevin Feige. We've already seen that The World Council isn't happy with Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers. It's possible they could task Maria Hill (Smulders) to give Fury the boot and take over. Leading to Hill having the Marvel heroes sign-on for service to S.H.I.E.L.D. or be locked-up in a super prison. Since the film is described as a "political thriller" I wouldn't shocked to see some World Council members getting assassinated by Winter Soldier.

It's obvious from the recent chat with George Lucas and new LucasFilm head Kathleen Kennedy. That Disney will be making films beyond Episode VII, Episode VIII and Episode IX. Could this mean that we'll be getting Star Wars films outside of those installments?

Back in 2011 director Joe Johnston (while promoting Captain America) talked to ScreenRant about his Boba Fett film. Johnston is the man who originally created the look for Boba Fett and has been trying to make a film. Apparently, Joe had enough material for this film to pitch it to Lucas. Factor-in his connections to Disney (via Cap, Rocketeer and Honey I Shrunk The Kids) and Star Wars (art director and designer on the films) it makes him a strong candidate to make more films. Considering there are talk that the live-action TV series (focusing on bounty hunters) and video game Star Wars 1313 possibly featuring Boba. It might be enough to spark interest from fans for a movie. Disney very well could end up mining the Star Wars universe for all it's worth. Similar to how Marvel makes multiple films connected in the same comic book universe. However, these films might not be set during the same time periods or follow the same characters.

“You know if he wants to see it, I would show it to him. I’m trying to get George to make a feature based on Boba Fett.”

It's starting to sound like Star Wars: Episode VII might have zero connection to existing canon/material. EOnline! seems to have confirmed from Disney that the new film trilogy will have original content and characters. Their source from LucasFilm stating "it's an original story". Giving the impression the books and comics won't be sourced. Not to mention the chances of the return of Luke, Leia and Solo is less likely now. This might anger fans who have been dying to see a Thrawn Trilogy but it's for the best. The way to separate this new trilogy from Lucas' other two is to create some fresh and exciting. Something made by new blood and the creative minds at LucasFilm.

October 30, 2012

It was reported today that Disney is making a whole new Star Wars trilogy. The first installment Star Wars: Episode VII is set to be released sometime in 2015. The studio has yet to name a director and it's expected that person would need to sign-on for the trilogy. Some dream names have been Edgar Wright, Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Vaughn, David Fincher, Sam Mendes, Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan, Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg. How realistic are those choices? Not likely considering Disney would need a director to create an entire trilogy for them. They might be very unreachable because of the high demand and their other commitments to studio/original projects. However, I have a few ideas for who should be considered since Disney will be looking for a visionary to tackle a trilogy.

RIAN JOHNSON: Johnson's Looper has been a whirlwind of slick science fiction. While the prostectics used to make Joseph Gordon-Levitt look like Bruce Willis were less than convincing, the rest of the low budget film was fantastic. He could really dig deep for character development which Lucas' prequel trilogy was completely lacking. If we want a return to iconic anti-hero Star Wars characters like Solo or Lando, Rian would be the man to create them. He currently doesn't have an official project lined up but I'm sure he has a few original ideas he's mulling over. Disney would be smart to snatch him up before he's offered other franchises.

DUNCAN JONES: I'm sure his name will be thrown around the Disney offices currently. Duncan had been wanted for The Wolverine and Man of Steel but ultimately turned down the projects. His name is buzzing around Twitter and film blogs as film geeks' dream director. I can't say I feel different but he's been trying to get his film Mute off the ground which could be a sticking point to him signing on. For him to direct a franchise project means they'd have to pay for original films to be made.

NEILL BLOMKAMP: Neill was once lined-up to direct a adaptation of Halo until the whole thing fell apart. Since then he's made two original science fiction films with District 9 and the upcoming Elysium starring Matt Damon. If anyone could create a new film universe for the Star Wars franchise it would be Neill. He would also bring back the worn/gritty look and dark tone of the original films. Blomkamp has worked inside the Hollywood machine previously and disliked it so I figure the only way to wrangle him is to give over creative control. Not sure how realistic that would be if Lucas is consulting on the films.

ALFONSO CUARON: While I consider him as the director to make the first good Harry Potter film. Alfonso is also known for some amazing science fiction with his film Children of Men. Which blew most away by it's bleak concept and excellent look/pacing. His next film Gravity is expected to blow audiences away and is highly anticipated. He might be the closet thing Disney has to landing someone as skilled as Christopher Nolan.

PETE TRAVIS: I've been Pete's biggest cheerleader lately, after the experience of seeing Dredd has really sunk-in. I think he has the ability to make a compelling science fiction action film (even with lackluster material to work from). Dredd seemed to be a film that was going to be a total disaster and turned out to be one of the most entertaining action films in a while for me. He's more of a popcorn director compared to the other names but would be able to make the films on the scale of the originals without breaking the bank. Pete was able to shoot some rather interesting action sequences (which some on this list are still learning how to put together). While I doubt he'll be considered I'll be rooting for him none-the-less.

Deadline has word from Disney's Bob Iger on their acquiring of LucasFilm and Star Wars. Iger states that they have an "extensive treatment" for Star Wars: Episode VII, meaning that they're already moving forward with it's development. It very well might have an early draft put together for potential directors. They've even mapped out a trilogy, plans for Star Wars: Episode VIII and Star Wars: Episode IX are in the works. We could see the two sequels possibly released in 2017 and 2019.

“Episode 7 will be released in 2015, the first under the Disney/Lucas banner,” he said, with Episode 8 and Episode 9 to follow. Disney plans to release a new Star Wars movie “every two to three years.”

Deadline reports that X-Men and X-Men United director Bryan Singer (Usual Suspects) has signed on to direct X-Men: Days of Future Past. Singer had been originally wanted by 20th Century Fox to direct X3, X-Men First Class and The Wolverine but had conflicts stepping back to allow others to direct instead. Matthew Vaughn recently announced he was going to leave the First Class sequel to another director. Possibly focusing on an adaptation of Mark Millar and Dave Gibbon's comic The Secret Service which is also setup at 20th Century Fox. It will be interesting to see the direction of this sequel as there had been talk of it planting seeds for X-Men 4.

Disney doesn't only get Star Wars in their purchase of LucasFilm. It includes the film rights to the iconic Indiana Jones franchise. Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford have confirmed they are working on a fifth installment. There isn't word if Disney plans on making Indiana Jones 5 or scrapping it (unlikely). However, it might actually be a solid film without Lucas' involvement. This also means that Disney can reboot the franchise, if they so wish.

UPDATE: It looks like Paramount's contract with LucasFilm for Indiana Jones 5 is still intact but if released Disney would share in the profits.

This has to be the biggest news since Disney took over Marvel. THR reports that Disney has bought Lucas Film for $4 billion and it includes the Star Wars franchise. Even more mind blowing is that they plan to put Episode VII into production for a 2015 release date. We should expect Episode 8 and Episode 9 are also on the table at this point. No word on a director even if a script is even in place. However, if 2015 is a date they have in mind, pitches have been made. The plot of the film is currently unknown but some have speculated it could be a reboot perhaps focusing on the Knights of The Old Republic era. 2015 is looking like it's going to be an epic year for blockbusters with Avengers 2 and Justice League also set for release.

George Lucas has retired and has systematically sold the rights so it's unlikely he'll be writing or directing. I'm sure that will please some die-hard Star Wars fans. The only problem here is that currently there isn't a visionary in place a franchise like Star Wars would need. We could see Disney handle Lucas Film as they have with Pixar and Marvel by letting them do their own thing. The question is will Disney hire a visionary like they did with Joss Whedon handling the creative-side of the Marvel films? It's not hard to imagine Lucas friend Steven Spielberg won't be pitch a new trilogy.

October 29, 2012

While her role may be minor the Captain America sequel. Cobie Smulders has been confirmed by Variety to be apart of the cast of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Agent Maria Hill in a deleted scene was at odds with Nick Fury while speaking to the World Council after the events of The Avengers. It's possible she could be planning a takeover of S.H.I.E.L.D. by replacing Fury as director. Setting in motion the events of Civil War which has been rumored for to be used in future Avenger films.

It was just announced that Crossbones will be joining Winter Soldier as the film's villains. It's unclear if Rumlock will be pulling the strings of Winter Soldier or will be just doing wet-work alongside him as an assassin. There had been rumblings that Baron Zemo was going to be the main villain of the film. He along with a few other classic villains were in original drafts of the script for First Avenger. While the Zemo rumor hasn't been confirmed, "a foreign villain" is still being cast. Dutch actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's (Game of Thrones, Black Hawk Down, Oblivion, Headhunters) name did appear as in the running for that other unnamed part. My assumption here is that Nikolaj was testing for that role which could be Zemo and not Rumlock.

Variety confirms that rising star Frank Grillo has landed a villainous role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Grillo will play Cap baddie Brock Rumlock better known as Crossbones. The character is best known for famously killing the hero off in the comics. We should expect big things from Grillo who has appeared in films such as Edge of Darkness, The Grey, Warrior and End of Watch. He joins Anthony Mackie (Million Dollar Baby, Hurt Locker) as the second new addition to the franchise. Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan are back in their title roles with Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson reprising their Avengers roles.

HeatVision reports that actress Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch, Hangover 2) has been brought in to replace Devon Aoki for the role Miho in Robert Rodriguez's Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. Jamie King is also back along with Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke and Rosario Dawson.

Deadline reports that George Clooney's next directorial effort Monument Men has nailed down it's cast. The WWII drama's lineup is stunning to say the least with Daniel Craig (Munich, Road To Perdition, Skyfall), Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin (The Artist, Wolf of Wall Street), Bill Murray (Moonrise Kingdom), John Goodman (Big Lebowski, Argo), Hugh Bonneville and Bob Balaban. A crew of art historians and museum curators unite to recover renown works of art that were stolen by Nazis before Hitler destroys them.

HeatVision reports that rapper/composer turned actor and director Rza (Man With The Iron Fists), has lined up his next projects. The most interesting of the two is Genghis Khan which was written by John Milius who penned Conan, Red Dawn and Apocalypse Now. Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) had been attached to play the lead which I assume could still happen with Rza being apart of the Roth, Rodriguez and Tarantino inner-circle.

Quentin Tarantino has stated to TotalFilm (via ThePlaylist) that his films Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained are apart of a trilogy. While he doesn't state what the next installment is it's very likely actor Christoph Waltz will have a role in it. The main theme of the last two pictures has been period pieces and which could hint to what is next. There has been talk of Quentin wanting to make a Pretty Boy Floyd-type gangster film. If I had to bet what was next for Tarantino it would be shooting this gangster film before rolling on the untitled sequel to Kill Bill.

"'Inglourious Basterds' and 'Django Unchained' bespeak a trilogy," the director says. "As different as they are, there is a companion piece quality. There might very well be a third one. I just don’t know what it is yet.”

October 27, 2012

Director James Mangold has revealed a little more to Empire (via CBM) about the tone of The Wolverine. Not mention talking about it's themes which seem darker than previous X-Men films. James also gives a bit of knock to the Avengers giving the impression Wolverine won't be the fun romp that film was. Could this be the movie Wolverine fans have been asking for a decade? I guess we'll find out for sure this summer.

"It's rooted in drama. Effectively almost every superhero film, in a sense, revolves around some large group of humanity that's either killed or held hostage while superheroes battle it out with supervilains. The essential driving forces of this movie are interpersonal and dramatic, about love, bitterness, loss, vengeance, redemption, depression, suicide, conquering inner demons - it's going to make it a very different film than people have seen." "The cultural qualities that Japan and its people bring - honour, a sense of duty, of conflict - really fit beautifully around Logan. Our film find Logan at a point where he's very much a ronin - a samurai without a master. Anyone he ever had a connection to is either dead or gone." "When I say realistic, what I mean is that it's not built on 70-foot lizards from outer space. Our goal is to try to be a little less super-CG and wires, and a little more hardcore. I want the film to feel analogue. You always have large-scale action and adventure - it wouldn't be a movie about gods if you didn't have epic physicality. But we all feel we're making a Japanese noir picture with tentpole action in it."

DailyExpress is reporting that British Jessica Brown Findlay (Albatross, Downton Abbey, Winter's Tale) is now the new front-runner for the female lead in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Previously, names such as Anna Kendrick and Mary Elizabeth Winstead had been named as favorites for the role which is assumed to be S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Sharon Carter. Others such as Emilia Clarke, Felicity Jones , Teresa Palmer, Imogen Poots, and Alison Brie were linked as well.

Frank Grillo (Grey, Warrior) has tested for the role of villain Brock Rumlock (Crossbones). Others testing for villains include Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones, Headhunters) and Josh Holloway (Lost, Ghost Protocol). Currently the only new cast member is Anthony Mackie (Million Dollar Baby, Hurt Locker, Gangster Squad) who has been placed in the role of Sam Wilson (The Falcon) who is Cap's present day sidekick. Sebastian Stan (Bucky) is back in the title role of Winter Soldier along with Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) reprising their Avengers roles.

Dredd has to be one of the best R-rated action flicks I've seen in a long time. District 9 being the last film that was as entertaining as Dredd was. It wasn't a paint-by-numbers action flick like Expendables 2 or even watered down like Taken 2. The film took cues from the original Robocop and Total Recall films, serious action in a surreal science fiction world. It's been even longer since we've seen a solid/fun R-rated comic book film. I've come up a few other projects that director Pete Travis should be considered for. Keep Travis in mind Fox, Sony, Warner Bros. and Dreamworks because he's the next Matthew Vaughn.

DEUS EX: CBS Films has optioned the rights to make a film based on the recent video game. Considering it would be a smaller production and would need a talent like Travis to beef up the film's apperence without spending a boat-load of money he could manage it. As Dredd's budget was in the range of $45 million which is slightly more than half of a terrible Adam Sandler comedy. Pete could build the world for Deus Ex from the ground up and make it his own.

METAL GEAR SOLID: Sony along with producer Avi Arad (Iron Man, X-Men 1-3, Spider-Man) recently announced that a Metal Gear Solid film is finally in the works. Christopher Nolan might be the creator Hideo Kojima's choice but they'll have to lower their standards considering it's a video game franchise. If given a solid script I assume Pete could give us a decent take on Snake. However, it's unknown if a script is in place but it would be nice to see Hideo involved. Not that the quality is there with Sony's Resident Evil films but they are a successful R-rated video game film franchise. Which could help influence the rating come budget discussions.

GHOST IN THE SHELL: Dreamworks and Steven Spielberg have been trying to develop a Ghost In The Shell film for years now. They've had screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island, Avatar) working on it for ages now. It had been confirmed by Laeta that the adaptation would be influenced by the original manga not the anime films. While Dreamworks mostly makes family friendly film it's possible they could aim to please the fans by including it's adult material. Pete proved he can handle developing an arc for a female character (Anderson) within an action setting, a rare task these days.

NINJA SCROLL: Appian Way, who also tried to develop an Akira film holds the film rights currently. They were a little more faithful with their adaptation announcement stating the production would be filmed in Japan with Japanese actors. A bold statement considering all the liberties they and Warner Bros. took with changing the entire identity of Akira (now in limbo). Warner Bros. hired Watchmen scribe Alex Tse to develop a script back in 2010 but since then no word on it's development. While this is more of a fantasy film it has enough action that could be helped by Travis, plus it doesn't hurt to switch up genres slightly.

HARD BOILED: The Dark Horse comic is ultra-violent an is about a troubled tax collector called Nixon who realizes that his life is nothing like what it seems and he is a man of metal, like some kind of robot doing the bidding of a dark organization. Frank Miller is currently developing the script for Warner Bros. there had been talk of him directing. However, after The Spirit those talks have likely ended. That said, his relationship with the studio is still solid with his comic Xerxes being the basis of the 300 sequel 300: Rise of An Empire. I think a Frank Miller/Pete Travis team up could be something special. The art from Hard Boiled reminded me of Robocop meets Judge Dredd, so it's hard not to connect the two gentlemen.

PREDATORS 2: Like Dredd, Predators was a reboot of sorts. The only thing is that Judge Dredd was a flop while Predator and it's reboot Predators (somewhat) were successful. It comes down to a personal interest to see what Pete Travis could do within the Predator universe. Ridley Scott is already planning his Prometheus sequel Paradise and Fox should take advantage of the rekindled interest in their R-rate science fiction. There had been word from producer/writer Robert Rodriguez the studio had interest in making a sequel to Predators but that was awhile back now. My main problem with the film is how they rushed things and hired Nimrod not Rodriguez. Instead of waiting for Robert to direct and Arnold Schwarzenegger to make his return as Dutch.

Arnold is back making films along with returning to the Terminator and Conan franchises. It's only a matter of time before we start hearing rumblings he's getting for another shot at Predator. Originally, Robert's Predator sequel had Dutch on the Predator world which seems like a excellent way to move the series forward. It also included humans using Predator technology which could help even the playground a bit. What I'd like to see is Pete considered for the directing gig while Arnold returns as Dutch pushing more of a science fiction aspect of the franchise. There were some solid elements from the AVP comics that could inspire the next installment. Including a civil war among the predator clans not to mention what happens when a group of humans get their hands on predator-tech for their own use. Having "worthy" humans inducted into the clans by testing their wit/might against dangerous alien creatures.

October 26, 2012

Deadline has another Bond update as Skyfall writer John Logan (Gladiator, Last Samurai) has also been tasked to write not only Bond 24 but it's sequel Bond 25 (Daniel Craig's last outing). Apparently the two films will be linked and could be shot back to back. It's the first time the franchise has moved so quickly on two sequels. It gives the impression producers are betting Skyfall will blow away audiences raking in more box office than usual.

Skyfall had it's development issues taking longer than usual to get the story right after the let down that was Quantum of Solace. It went through many script changes and different writers. There could be a few unused scripts laying around from that development that John Logan could rework and pull from. Not to mention Logan's unused notes from writing Skyfall could also be put to use. If the two films are indeed shooting at the same time it would mean the director would need to commit to larger than usual production shoot. No word if Mendes is returning at this point as the franchise isn't known for keeping directors around for next installments.

The LATimes is reporting that director Wally Pfister is now looking at Christian Bale to fill a role in his science fiction thriller Transcendence. Previously, it had been announced that Johnny Depp, Noomi Rapace, James McAvoy, Tobey Maguire and Christoph Waltz were looking to take part in the film.

Writer/director Guillermo del Toro talked to MTV about the progress of Hellboy 3 which would be final movie in the trilogy. He gives the impression that Mike Mignola and the cast are seemingly on board. The only thing holding things back is the film's budget and finding an investor to pay for it.

"Finlay all the culprits have agreed to try. It's very hard to find who will finance it. The Biggest chapter in the three movies is Hellboy becomes The Beast Of The Apocalypse. So we have been inquiring, but if you have a rich uncle that has 130-150 million dollars...."

Actress Selma Blair talked to BloodyDisgusting about the prospect of the third installment.

"It’s my dream to work with Guillermo del Toro again. I just want to be near him. I love him. I miss him. It’s my dream that one day when I’m done with the TV Show [Anger Management] they say, ‘ok the movie’s actually going to go!’ That would be the biggest heaven. I mean it’s all set up. ‘Hellboy 3′ is the biggest payoff and the biggest horror. I want to see what these twins are up to, if one’s the devil and one’s an angel. I want to see what Hellboy and Liz are up to! I know the film is the apocalypse and the apocalypse isn’t cheap to shoot so we have to find some funding and get going with it!"

Sam Mendes seems to have done an excellent job with Skyfall but it's rare for directors to return for sequels. Considering Mendes is the first Oscar winning director we should expect producers to look at similar directors for future installments. Danny Boyle had been a rumored candidate for Skyfall and directed a Bond short-film for the Olympics. Boyle like Mendes has had a string of commercially successful and Oscar nominated films that includes Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later and Trainspotting. My bet would be on Boyle at least talking with producers to direct the 24th film. That said, when responding to the rumor Boyle seemed flattered but isn't looking to direct a Bond film.

‘I enjoy the Bond movies, always have and always will, but I have no plans to direct one. I don’t know who came up with the story, but please tell them I’m very flattered to be thought of!’

Bond 24 is rolling forward with the DailyMail reporting that Skyfall screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, Last Samurai, Noah) has been hired to write the next installment. However, franchise writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are absent this time around. They also state the film is being aimed for a November 2014 release date. Nothing is really known about this next film but there have been rumblings Benedict Cumberbatch (Hobbit, Sherlock, War Horse, Star Trek Into Darkness) could be looked at for the villain.

October 25, 2012

By Crom! Deadline reports that Universal is set on rebooting the Conan franchise one more time. However, they'll be brining back Arnold Schwarzenegger to play the title role in The Legend of Conan. The new project being a direct sequel to the original 1982 film and is aiming for a Summer 2014 release date. It's interesting as the end of the first movie showed an aged Conan sitting upon his throne. It could be a very excellent way to continue the franchise if they do it properly this time around. Personally, I'd be fine if Arnie only resurrected his role of Conan and staying away from Terminator 5.

A bombshell for X-Men fans has been reported by Deadline as director Matthew Vaughn is leaving X-Men: Days of Future Past. He had been very vocal on making a sequel to the point he signed on along with developing the story/script with writing partner Jane Goldman. The relationship with Fox seems still intact as Matthew will stay on as producer of the film. Vaughn is actually looking to direct The Secret Service for Fox instead. A film concept originally hatched by both Mark Millar and Matthew that came out as a comic book series.

His replacement just might end up being Bryan Singer. However, I really hope Singer doesn't direct considering how terrible his post-X2 films have been. There has even been talk of how much of a disaster Jack The Giant Slayer (not killer) might be. It wouldn't be hard to imagine Fox might look to hire someone new to direct. Considering Singer still has to promote/edit Jack The Giant Slayer. The problem stems from setting the release date of this massive film before post-production, which to be fair would scare any director. I'd love to see someone like Drew Goddard (Cabin In The Woods, Cloverfield) get the gig but you never know with Fox.

Inception is one of the highest grossing original films ever made making $820 million worldwide during it's theatrical release. It wasn't based on existing material and wasn't a sequel. However, it looks like Warner Bros. is eager to have Christopher Nolan develop it into a franchise with Inception 2. A while back it was revealed by actor Tom Hardy (via ScreenRant) that the cast had signed-on for sequels. Even Nolan commented on a potential sequel during an interview.

“It’s not something I want to say no to, but it’s not something I’ve given a lot of thought about.”

Over the summer a rumor sparked that Nolan's next film could be Inception 2. ComicBookMovie seems to have a source within Warner Bros. that could see the concept of inception actually being the star of the film. They say they'll ditch the original cast (already seems fishy) and focus on the military properties of the device. In the film Arthur mentions briefly the device was originally created by the military, a simple hint to a sequel? Apparently, if Nolan turns it down they're going to pursue it with another director. This sounds like a giant leap and could be completely fictional. That said, Christopher hasn't made an announcement about his next film, so anything could happen.

"Rumors spread that a group of people managed to pull off Inception, and middle-eastern terrorists soon catch onto the idea and plan to perform Inception on world leaders, forcing them to dissolve law and order".

There's nothing more that Christopher Nolan fans want than to see him tackle Bond.
He's professed his love for the franchise over the years and has even met with producers in the past about helming one. Skyfall producer Gregg Wilson commented (via ThePlaylist) on the possibility of Christopher taking a shot at directing. Of course he seems optimistic and also a bit coy at the same time. Director Sam Mendes has stated he took direct influence from The Dark Knight for Skyfall. It's safe to say that the Bond camp is very fond of Nolan and will try to work something out for the future.

More recently Nolan stated if he was to do it would make a Bond film he'd start fresh. Meaning, a new actor in the role so he can make his stamp on the franchise. Names such as Idris Elba, Michael Fassbender and Tom Hardy have been mentioned as potential new Bonds. All seem like actors that Nolan would be eager to work with. However, Daniel Craig over the summer re-signed with producers for Bond 24 and Bond 25. This would give Nolan time/breathing-room between the next two films to put together his vision for Bond 26. Not to mention directing a film or two of his own in the meantime.

Some new set images reveal ninjas will be involved in the film thanks to TheDailyTelegraph (via CBM). It's possible they are The Hand or hired assassins for The Yashida Clan. Either way, it's promising to what we can expect action-wise from the film. Included, are some older ones that give us our first look at Viper, Silver Samurai, Mariko and Yukio. My impression is that this seems very faithful to the original Japanese-saga comics from the Frank Miller and Chris Claremont run. I'll wait for a trailer to give an ultimate opinion but things are looking good at this point.